Taste Reward Processing in Pediatric Obesity

The study aims to provide a better understanding of the neural influence of eating behavior in the development of childhood obesity. Children ages 4-8 will be recruited to examine fMRI brain response to pictures that signal delivery of a chocolate milkshake and to the taste itself. The brain response will be compared to body mass index percentile scores for each child to help us determine whether brain differences present in adolescents and adults with obesity are present in young children.